Big Lake's Connections to the US Attorney Scandal

Tom Hamburger of the LA Times reveals "part of the reason" why Tom Heffelfinger ended up on the DOJ's list of US Attorneys to be fired:

But newly obtained documents and interviews suggest that what displeased some of his superiors and GOP politicians was narrower and more politically charged -- his actions on Indian voting.

... in particular:

Described as a matter of "deep concern" to Heffelfinger, the issue arose from Kiffmeyer's directive in the fall of 2004 that tribal ID cards could not be used for voter identification off reservations

Kiffmeyer is now involved in a national scandal. If Kiffmeyer ran in a special election, it is likely that she would have to answer questions about her involvement in the GOP's campaign to disenfranchise minority voters.

If Mary Kiffmeyer cannot run for office because of her role in the US Attorney scandal, that may explain why the MN GOP 6CD Chair has gone from "no comment" on Rep Mark Olson to whitewashing Olson's Wikipedia page. Olson's trial for domestic assault is scheduled for June 7th (Correction: Rep. Mark Olson's Trial is Monday, June 4th)

Olson may have his own connection to the US Attorney scandal. Olson worked closely with Gary Dean Zimmermann promoting PRT legislation at the Capitol and at Minneapolis City Hall. It's very likely that e-mails to and from Olson and other GOP politicos turned up on Zimmermann's computer which was seized in a raid on Zimmermann's house only four months before Heffelfinger announced he was going to resign.



Ken Avidor writes about Personal Rapid Transit and other scandals.

New Changes on Rep. Mark Olson Campaign Website

It's got videos from the last session and it's got a picture of woman he pushed to the floor three times and her children back in November:



Mark Olson's trial for abusing his wife is scheduled for June 7th.





Ken Avidor explains what Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams are all about.

CD 6 GOP Chair Mark Swanson Edits Rep. Mark Olson's Wikipedia Page

Rep. Mark Olson's former campaign manager Mark Swanson made two revisions of the Wikipedia page I created for Rep. Mark Olson using the nom-de-wiki Swanny123.

Swanson changed the heading "Domestic Assault Arrest" to "Personal Legal Notes".

Swanson also changed "Legislative staff complained of being abused" to "It was aledged that Legislative staff complained of being abused by Mark Olson in his first term and again in 1997. There is no record of this in pertinent legislative administrative files."

Swanson also changed "Minnesota House Republicans voted to oust Olson" to "Minnesota House Republicans voted to suspend Olson".

Swanson's user page states the following:

Mark is an active Republican activist and is currently the Chair of the Republican Party of Congressional District 6.

It would appear that Swanson is trying to tamper with the facts to make Rep. Mark Olson look good in preparation for Olson's trial on June 7th for beating his wife back in November.

Swanson joins Seattle PRT promoter, David Gow in editing Olson's page.

Here's an article about Olson's abuse of staff that Swanson suggests never happened:



Ken Avidor says beware of Personal Rapid Transit and other anti-transit scams.

Olson's Wife-Beating Trial is June 7th... Crank Up the PRT Publicity Machine!

When Rep. Mark Olson's PRT pal Gary Dean Zimmermann got into trouble before his election in 2005, the PRTistas were there to help out with press releases about PRT projects in Dubai and Heathrow.

My prediction then:

Of course ULTra runs on batteries and will likely end up on the trash-heap like the other PRT projects, but it will serve as a reliable engine of anti-transit propaganda for many years to come.

Now, on the eve of Olson's trial... just in case any reporter asks about Olson's PRT scam, we now have this article about the ULTra Heathrow project in the Sunday Times. It's a very silly article.

The electrically powered “pod cabs” will allow users to key in their destination and be carried there automatically along special roadways at speeds of up to 25mph.

... up to 25 mph doesn't qualify as "speed". The article insists that ULTra "is already being built and has completed trials." The article also says ULTra's Heathrow debut won't be until the end of 2008... then there's this weasel-worded statement:

The pods are seen as more economical, more environmentally friendly and less prone to being stuck in traffic than existing transport inside the airport.

..."environmentally friendly"? Says who?

Martin Lowson, founder and chief executive of Advanced Transport Systems, the Bristol-based manufacturer, said it would be far more convenient for users than conventional airport transport.

... Martin Lowson? Didn't he leave ATS? I guess ATS couldn't find a suitable crackpot or con-artist to replace Lowson.

We get some specs:

The pods will be guided by infrared sensors along 7ft-wide concrete roadways.

... picture that 7ft-wide concrete roadway in front of your home or business...

For the 2.6-mile-long terminal 5 section, they will be raised above existing roads, swooping down as they near their destinations.

... "swooping down"?...

In later phases the taxis will travel along ground-level routes separated from other traffic by 8ft walls.

... so if your battery-powered, glorified PRT golf cart breaks down, you'll either be up in the air or trapped between 8-ft walls.

Also, just in time for Olson's trial, the New Jersey PRT report (PDF HERE). It's filled with the same weasel-worded baloney you find in all the PRTista-generated literature. It's main argument is that after many decades of failure we should waste even more time and money on PRT research.

And there's a new You Tube video of the ugly, automated bus on concrete guideway called the Morgantown WVU PRT.

From the memory hole... here's a vintage video of Olson riding in J. Edward Anderson's toy PRT pod... enjoy:



Ken Avidor blogs about the Personal Rapid Transit.

Lawrence Schumacher on Rep. Mark Olson & Global Warming

Lawrence Schumacher on his SC Times blog:

Caught on tape by Ken Avidor, from Friday night's House floor debate on the energy policy bill. Rep. Mark Olson, R-Big Lake, had a few choice words for those who spread the word on global climate change.

Money quote:

"I haven't even studied this extensively. I just became curious about it. And I have received good evidence that it is false ... The national media is known for wanting to tear down this country. They're known for wanting worldwide redistribution of wealth. They're known for wanting a global government. In general, not all of them. They're known for having an agenda."

This was during a floor speech in which he argued that for those who believe in the Bible, the argument of global climate change doesn't make sense.
 
There's enough of the speech there, though a note to Ken: The more you edit the clips the more it looks like you're distorting his argument.

Schumacher is correct about editing giving a biased impression (and I am biased), however, it would be difficult (and painful) to upload a complete Olson rant to You Tube.

You Tube is an example of how the limitations of a technology effects content. A complete video of one of Olson's rants would go beyond the optimum length for a You Tube video. If a video is longer than 3 minutes, it takes many minutes to convert to Quicktime and even longer to upload. Most people don't have the time to watch a 20 minute video... also nobody pays me to blog about politics... unlike some bloggers.

Schumacher mentions another blog's coverage of Olson's antics:

Tom Beckfeld summarizes the remainder of Olson's argument here, describing how Olson decided to conduct an experiment after watching An Inconvenient Truth that you really should read.

Read Beckfeld's post at the Beyond Sound Bites and Headlines blog.

The BSBH blog also has an excellent post on Rep. Mark Olson's obsession with PRT.

Here's a quote I liked:

The only thing I can tell you for sure is that Olson will continue to push this boondoggle for has long as he’s in office. It is his type of Government program. One that will never be built. He can say he’s doing something but even he must know that this is a fraud and a scam. Let’s hope that his time ends very soon.

Here's a video of Olson introducing, then withdrawing his PRT amendment last Friday:



Ken Avidor writes about Personal Rapid Transit and the scoundrels who promote it.

Rep. Mark Olson's Personal Rapid Transit Amendment

From Friday, Rep. Mark Olson introducing (and withdrawing) his PRT amendment to the energy bill:


Ken Avidor says Personal Rapid Transit is a scam.

The Moral Relativism of an Aspiring "Freelance Conservative Revolutionist"

PheistyChick on what mushy liberals think about crime:

And there are many more criminals who deny that what they did was wrong, yet they make excuses for their actions. (In my opinion, the excuses themselves unveil a guilty conscience.)  If a man has murdered a small child, and does not show any form of remorse, does this mean that he has simply  not experienced empathy, and therefore cannot tell the difference between right and wrong?  Does the empathy itself create the moral code? If there is no empathy, is there no crime?  If the jugement of a crime is based upon a person's life experiences and lack of empathy, how can we charge him with a crime?  How can we even have laws?  By your line of reasoning, that man I described would be innocent.

.... okay, let's review the facts in the case:

Mark Olson admittted to throwing his wife to the ground three times. He bruised her. He ran away and hid in a church school. He was arrested and jailed. He cried in court and refused to enter a plea.

Mark Olson delayed his trial several times, using what right-wingers like to call "technicalities".

.... and Olson blamed his wife for what happened:

TO THE EDITOR:

I am proud of my sister, Heidi Olson, and her decision not to try to influence the public by making statements about the incidents which landed Mark Olson in jail. However, after attending the latest hearing on Feb. 9, I heard Olson's lawyer tell a reporter the false story that Heidi "came after Olson and he was trying to control the situation". Perhaps a weak case has led him to apply this tactic. It is misperceptions like that which hopefully will be brought out in court, when persons testifying are under oath.

It is my hope that the people of Sherburne County will agree that physical violence is never warranted or justified. In my 32 plus years of marriage, my husband has never been physically aggressive with me. I don't think I could do anything that would cause him to act that way. Unless there is a common agreement and a standard about domestic violence, there is not much more that can be said.

Holli Rebney

Minnetonka, MN

... and here's Olson when he was tough on crime:



Ken Avidor wants to know why the major news media promoted Personal Rapid Transit.

"PheistyChick" Rethinks Her Support For Rep. Mark Olson

Pheistyblog:

So why am I supportive of Rep. Olson? To be honest, I don’t really know. Every logical thought I’ve had has told me to run from this as fast as I can, in the other direction.

... you should listen to that little voice more often, PheistyChick...

What I do know is that there are more to these stories than what the media is reporting, and that the man that I met with on Friday is a man who truly wants to do what’s right. That’s what my heart tells me. And I’m also reminded that there is more to this than meets the eye, and that I am no one (obviously) to judge.

The right-wingers are always saying liberals listen to their bleeding hearts when it comes to crime. "Too soft on crime" is what the righties say... "lock up the bastards and throw away the key"... except when it's their friends and cohorts who are accused of crimes.

Olson himself was one of those tough-on-crime right-wingers. Here's a clipping from his campaign literature:



Ken Avidor blogs about the hypocrites and liars who promoted Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams.

"Pheistychick" Supports Rep. Mark Olson

"Pheistychick" is a self-described "young woman aspiring to become a freelance conservative revolutionist". "Joey" (Pheistychick, I assume) has a post praising crazy Rep. Mark Olson on Pheistyblog:

In my humble opinion, everything that the news media has said about Mark Olson is absolutely and completely distorted. I found him to be a man who is convicted by his values, refusing to succumb to ‘politics as usual’, and a man who has strength like I have never seen.  He is a true public servant, and has come to the realization that if he is going to be in office, he must stand firm for what he believes is the public good, regardless of ay political backlash.

... wouldja believe it? Joey/Pheistychick has a job:

Since I am a Human Resource Manager, I get to go into the schools on occasion and tell the teachers and students what employers are looking for in an employee.

... hmmmm... how about an employee with serious anger management problem who threw a typewriter at a staff worker on one occasion and screamed at staff workers on other occasions and refused anger management counseling?

But then what do expect from a blogger who calls a Gold Star mom like Cindy Sheehan "a prostitute":

Cindy Sheehan thing, in my opinion, is that she is the prostitute for the media and people with anti-war agendas. That isn't right-wing hate speech, that is simply the truth.

... or who links to website called "Minnesotans for Global Warming".

It's sad that there are people like Pheistychick/Joey who would rather whine about not getting presents from her rich parents for her second wedding than show any respect for a Gold Star Mom like Cindy Sheehan or concern for the decline of walleye in Minnesota lakes due to Global Warming.



Ken Avidor blogs about the right-wingers who promote Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams.

Mark Olson Talks About Global Warming

The Blue man in a Red district blog and the I Don’t Hate America! blog asked for a video of Mark Olson's latest rant at the Capitol.... well, here it is, folks!

It was a long, long rant so I edited to include just a few of his many bizarre statements... the Earth is "never filled with water"... some inventors got their ideas from the Bible... melting ice caps won't effect sea level... the media is out to "tear down this country"... and the best way to reduce carbon emissions is to "build power plants".

In the middle, Olson expresses confidence that he'll remain in the legislature.


Ken Avidor blogs about Rep. Mark Olson and other crackpots and con artists who promote Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams.

Personal Rapid Transit: "Glorified Golf Carts"

Charleston Daily Mail:

Lawrence Fabian, treasurer of Advanced Transit Association and a member of the Committee on Major Activity Circulation Systems of the U.S. Transportation Research Board, calls the feeder system cars "glorified golf carts."

Ken Avidor blogs about the con artists and crackpots who promote Personal Rapid Transit.

ATRA & Personal Rapid Transit Strike Out (Again)

Remember Larry Fabian? He's the guy who sent me this gloating e-mail after the 2006 election:

How is that you haven't posted the results of Tuesday's elections yet?

Bucking the Democrat thumping, Minnesota's two PRTistias were reelected, I see. Wouldn't honesty urge you to post that on your lovely website?

Larry Fabian
The One Who You So Kindly Told to %#$@ Off

Larry Fabian would eat his words when days later, Olson was arrested for beating his wife. Fabian's other winning Minnesota PRTista, Michele Bachmann stepped into Kitty Harris's crazy shoes as the Republican party's leading lady lunatic when she sexually assaulted President Bush at the State of the Union function early this year. Bachmann hasn't said a word about PRT since she was elected and I doubt she will.

Although Olson has managed to stay in the legislature, he has no chance of passing a PRT bill this session. Olson faces a bi-partisan effort to eject him from the legislature at the beginning of the next session if he is convicted next month.

How pathetic that Larry Fabian and ATRA went on a pilgrimage to the hills of West Virginia to praise the Nixon-era gadgetbahn boondoggle, the Morgantown PRT.

ATRA's Fabian poured the PRTista Kool-aid....

Fabian, one of the seminar’s featured speakers, considers the seminar “an exploration of possibilities.”

“There’s a much higher level of interest [in personal rapid transit] in Europe and in Korea,” he said.

Other talk should center on possible expansion of Morgantown’s PRT, Fabian said.

... but, the guy in charge of the troubled WVU PRT wasn't drinking it:

“That is a possibility, but it is an expensive proposition,” said Robert Hendershot, assistant director for PRT operations at WVU.

A more scaled-down “feeder system” might be more practical, Hendershot said. That could use small cars to transport five people or less. PRT cars seat eight, but can fit many more.

There you have it from the guy in charge... "too expensive".

Also notice that the Morgantown PRT seats eight passengers which means it does not fit the PRTista's definition of PRT (small, lightweight vehicles seating 4 people or less). The WVU "PRT" is really an early version of the prosaic, automated people movers that operate in many airports.

So much for J. Edward Anderson's "disruptive technology"... more about the Morgantown PRT boondoggle here.


Ken Avidor blogs about Personal Rapid Transit and other gadgetbahn scams.

LTE: Olson has Wrong Idea about School Program

SC Times:

State Rep. Mark Olson ... gave some wild-eyed legislative rants against the International Baccalaureate Program (House Floor Session, 3:54 p.m., April 18).
Olson refers to the IB program as "anti-American" and presented an amendment to have it removed from the school system. Happily, this self-proclaimed maverick had no support, not even from his own party.

Olson might want to consider turning in his crystal ball for a more reliable model... Where else would he get such foolish ideas? They certainly are not from a reliable, well-documented or extensively researched source. At the very least, is it too much to expect a representative ... to check his sources?

The International Baccalaureate Program is primarily a series of accelerated courses for high-IQ students. Not particularly sinister — unless you consider an intelligent, well-educated individual to be a threat. Perhaps to a radical such as Olson, a smart, well-educated woman in particular poses a grave threat to America.
My daughter was in the International Baccalaureate Program in high school. She was offered a full scholarship, complete with room and board, to West Point. I guess you can't get much more un-American than that.

(Ken Avidor blogs about the "Personal Rapid Transit" scam.)